Commentary on: Alberink I, de Jongh A, Rodriguez C. Fingermark evidence evaluation based on automated fingerprint identification system matching scores: the effect of different types of conditioning on likelihood ratios. J Forensic Sci 2014; 59(1):70–81.

• NCJ Number: 310967
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 60 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2015 Pages: 252-256
• Author(s): Cedric Neumann; Christopher P. Saunders
• Date Published: January 2015
• Grant Number(s): 2014-IJ-CX-K088
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Issue Overview
• Award: Foundational Research into the Quantification of the Value of Forensic Evidence for Complex Evidential Forms arising from Impression and Pattern Evidence

Abstract

This letter stems from the reading of a paper by Alberink et al. (hereafter AJR for Alberink, de Jongh, Rodriguez) in the Journal of Forensic Sciences. In their paper, AJR describe the use of similarity measures to assign the weight of forensic fingerprint evidence using likelihood ratios (LR). Their approach is related to the ones presented in related papers reviewed by Hepler et al. and Egli, and the authors state that this strategy could be applicable to any type of forensic evidence.